National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

News Around NOAA

National Program

National Weather Service and Argonne National Laboratory Formalize Strategic Partnership in AI and Advanced Weather Forecasting

Weather.gov > News Around NOAA > National Weather Service and Argonne National Laboratory Formalize Strategic Partnership in AI and Advanced Weather Forecasting

On September 23, 2026, leadership from the National Weather Service (NWS) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) for advanced weather forecasting and atmospheric simulation workflows.

Strengthening Weather Prediction and AI Infrastructure

The MOU establishes a framework intended to encourage joint innovation, technical exchange, and exploration of AI-ready datasets and open-weight machine learning foundation models. By connecting NWS capabilities with DOE's Genesis Mission initiatives and Argonne's computing power, including the Aurora Exascale Supercomputer, the collaboration aims to bring together the unique expertise of both agencies to advance the development of capabilities to improve weather prediction across scales to better inform decision support tools.

Areas of Cooperation

Under the MOU, NWS and Argonne will explore and coordinate on several key areas:

  • AI and Environmental Modeling: The partnership will focus on advancing artificial intelligence and high-performance computing for atmospheric science and environmental prediction. This includes exploring AI subseasonal-to-seasonal forecast models, training open-weight machine learning foundation models, and leveraging exascale architectures like the Aurora Supercomputer.

  • Technical Information Exchange and Data Readiness: Both organizations will work together to optimize the availability and impact of AI-ready data to support advanced research. Additionally, teams will share technical capabilities regarding modeling, data workflows, and decision-support tools.

  • Forums, Knowledge Sharing, and Future Coordination: NWS and Argonne will jointly host and participate in technical exchange meetings. These discussions will help establish collaboration pathways and joint projects.

The signing ceremony took place during a joint NOAA and DOE Workshop on High-Resolution Reanalysis Data held at Argonne National Laboratory on September 22-23, 2026. The MOU was signed by Dr. Daryl Kleist, Deputy Director of the NWS Office of Modeling & Development, on behalf of the National Weather Service, and Dr. Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz, Associate Director for Nuclear Technologies and National Security, on behalf of Argonne National Laboratory.

Dr. Daryl Kleist (left), Deputy Director of the NWS Office of Modeling & Development, and Dr. Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz (right), Associate Director for Nuclear Technologies and National Security at Argonne National Laboratory, display the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Argonne National Laboratory on September 23, 2026.
Dr. Daryl Kleist (left), Deputy Director of the NWS Office of Modeling & Development, and Dr. Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz (right), Associate Director for Nuclear Technologies and National Security at Argonne National Laboratory, display the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Argonne National Laboratory on September 23, 2026.
 
Dr. Daryl Kleist (left) and Dr. Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz (right) shakes hands in front of Argonne's Aurora Supercomputer during the NOAA-DOE Workshop on High-Resolution Reanalysis Data following the MOU signing.
Dr. Daryl Kleist (left) and Dr. Kirsten Laurin-Kovitz (right) shakes hands in front of Argonne's Aurora Supercomputer during the NOAA-DOE Workshop on High-Resolution Reanalysis Data following the MOU signing.